


Something Special

by wanderer765



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Friendship, Love Confessions, Relationship(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2015-10-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 11:37:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4959199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderer765/pseuds/wanderer765
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She would've let things go on a while longer with Eddie, maybe to prove a point, maybe to tell herself she was in full control of her destiny, but she knows deep down that eventually they would've ended things. Iris West-Allen was, is, and always will be her destiny.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Special

She had asked him to meet her tonight, at their spot...and it's all she can think about. Even though she has a hard deadline for this article, she can't quite get her mind to think of anything other than Barry Allen. Should she just pretend she's sick and go home for the rest of the day? She'd never missed a day there, they'd understand, right? Her stomach does a tumble when she thinks about why she's so anxious and she turns in her chair. "Hey Mr. Larkin", Iris said. "Mind if I finish this story up at home? I'm feeling a bit...queasy." She had her hand on her stomach and an adorable 'please take pity on me' look on her face. "Sure thing Miss West. Just make sure you have that piece done and submitted by 5pm this evening," he says before walking away. That was easy. She gathers her materials and heads for home.

Thankfully she's able to focus a lot easier at home and finishes the article about an hour after she gets there. That left her six grueling hours that she had to wait before meeting up with Barry. Was she sure she wanted to do this? Was this the right time? Patty & Barry had been broken up for a little over a month, after a four month short-lived romance, and she thought that had been enough time. Enough time to have the conversation she intended to have with him tonight. She hoped she would actually have the courage to say the things she needed to say.

It had been about a year ago that the singularity had happened. A year ago that Eddie had sacrificed himself. She had loved him and he had been good for her. But if she was to be really honest with herself, she always knew he wasn't the one. She wanted to make it work with him and if things had gone differently that day a year ago, she really would've tried to make it work. She was scared then. She was scared now...of what it was that Barry meant to her. She would've let things go on a while longer with Eddie, maybe to prove a point, maybe to tell herself she was in full control of her destiny, but she knows deep down that eventually they would've ended things. Iris West-Allen was, is, and always will be her destiny.

Things had been good between her and Barry for a while now. The sting from being kept in the dark about his life as the Flash was all but gone now and she was as much a part of the team as any of the others. Even more so, because she knew him the best. She could talk him through things better than Cisco or Joe because he trusted her with everything that he had. She had this way of speaking to him and getting through to him that made him stronger, faster, better. She made him the man, the superhero, that he was today and he would be the first one to say it.

Her phone buzzed and she jolted awake. She had exhausted herself by being so anxious and had dozed off. She looked at her phone, it was Barry. "Uhh, hey Bear. What's up?" She wiped the sleep from her eyes and took a quick glance at her watch. It was a quarter 'til 7. Fifteen minutes until they were supposed to meet at Jitter's. "Hey Iris, just letting you know I think I'm gonna be a couple minutes late. I'm finishing up some stuff here at the lab. Is that ok?" She smiled into the phone. Her Barry. Always late, even on the night that she plans to tell him everything. If he only knew why she had asked him to meet. "Ha. Yeah Barry, that's fine. I might actually be a few minutes late too. Just waking up from a nap. I'll see you soon ok?," she says. "Sounds good." She runs upstairs quickly to change and spruce up her appearance a bit. She knows that she could show up in sweats and a disheveled ponytail and Barry would still think she was the most beautiful sight he'd even seen. That thought puts another smile on her face. Then her stomach drops. It was happening. She was finally doing it. Before she could talk herself out of it she ran downstairs, grabbed her keys, and walked out the door.

It was a somewhat chilly spring night in Central City. The sky was painted in blues, purples, oranges and pinks. One of the most beautiful views of the city was from the Jitter's rooftop. Iris took a slow breathe in as a cool breeze swept past her. What a sight. That's exactly what Barry thinks as he walks out onto the rooftop. He stands there for a second just taking it all in. The beautiful sky. The beautiful woman in front of him. A lot had come to pass between them over the past year. Grieving on her end. A failed relationship on his and all the while they had found their way back to each other and were somehow closer than ever.

"Hey you," Barry says as he walks over to her. She turns and sees him slowly making his way to her, hands in his pockets. She smiles at him and that familiar tumble that's been a constant the past few days, rolls in her stomach. She really thinks she might be sick. "Hey you," she musters. They stand there for a minute, silent in the dusky light of evening as she ponders what to say. "So you've been busy. Haven't seen you at Star Labs the past few days. Everything ok?" Barry asks. His eyebrows furrow and there's a genuine look of concern on his face. "Oh. Ya Bear, I...I'm fine. Just research, deadlines...you know how it goes." In truth she'd been avoiding him ever since she asked him about meeting her tonight. If she had seen him beforehand she might've changed her mind, backed out, convinced herself that she could stay silent just a while longer. A nervous smile is present on her face as she motions for him to come sit with her on the bench that's right beside her.

A few minutes pass. More silence. He's starting to worry something is really wrong but he doesn't say a word, offering her the time and space that she needs to gather up her courage. "So," she says quietly while looking down at her hands, "Barry." She looks up and laughs a bit before saying, "You're probably wondering what this is all about...sorry, I'm being so weird." She plays with her fingers and he just watches her patiently and lifts his eyebrows as if to say 'it's ok'. She breathes long and deep and closes her eyes. "I'm sorry," she starts. "I'm sorry that it's taken so long for my brain to catch up with my heart." She looks up at him and smiles, glassy tears present in her soft brown eyes. "Bear, you've always been this constant in my life. This sure thing, ya know? My best friend. I've never had to pretend around you or be a certain way. You've always just allowed me to be me, flaws and all. You're comfortable. THIS is comfortable. I had never thought of us being any other way because I loved the way we were. I thought it was enough for me." He's still sitting quietly and patiently and she can't really read him right now, which scares her. "But then the accident happened and all of a sudden nothing was constant and I wasn't sure of anything. Barry, my heart stopped beating when yours did and I died a little bit every single time. It was unbearable to think about life without you. To think that I'd never again feel as safe or as comfortable as you made me feel."

She pauses again and searches his face for a reaction to the words she was saying. She notices his eyes are a little glossier than they were a few short moments ago. "Time passed. It was slow and it was hard but you being in the coma and visiting you everyday started to feel like the new normal. I had to find new ways to fill my time, to fill my mind, so that I could keep living because I knew that if I stopped for too long and let reality sink in I would be useless. Then everything with Eddie happened so quickly and it was exciting and being with him took away some of the pain. I convinced myself I was happy. I never lost faith that you'd come back to me but I had to try and let myself learn how to live without you Barry...and it was the hardest thing I've ever done."

At this point the sun and moon had traded places in the sky. Barry put his hand on Iris'. This was the first time he'd ever really heard her talk about what life was like for her those nine months. It killed him to imagine her in so much pain knowing that he wasn't able to be there for her. "When you woke up, it was easy to want things go back to the way they were. I had you back, my life force. I was still with Eddie though and I couldn't let that go. He had become an important part of my life too. But something had changed between us when you came back...although I didn't want to admit it." She looked down again, "So anyway...I'm rambling. I'm sorry." He squeezes her hand. "Iris. You don't have any reason to be sorry. I can't imagine what that time must've been like for you. You are so strong. So much stronger than I could ever be. If the tables were turned and it was you in that coma?...there's just no way I could've kept going. But you did and you never lost faith in me. Do you know how that makes me feel? Knowing that no matter what life throws at you, at us, you always believe in me? Iris I can never thank you enough. You Iris...you are MY life force."

She smiles at him and squeezes his hand back. "I was terrified when you told me how you felt about me. Have I ever told you that? I didn't know how to deal with it. It meant that everything I knew would change. But looking back I now know it doesn't change a thing. My heart has always belonged to you. You're the love of my life. No Patty's or Eddie's or Linda's were ever going to change that. Our souls were always meant to find each other and the way we've always been isn't enough for me anymore. We were meant to be together and I don't want you to live another second not knowing how I feel about you."

She's crying now, like really crying and he is too. "I love you Barry Allen. I am in love with you and I'm not afraid anymore. My heart is yours if you'll still have it?" She barely finishes that sentence before she feels his soft warm lips on hers. She's thankful that they're still sitting because she's positive her knees would've given out on her with the way he was kissing her. He breaks away for a second, "Thank you Iris," is all he says, before he kisses her again. "Thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for forgiving me for all the stupid things I've done. Thank you for giving me the greatest gift anyone could ever give me." Their kissing turns a little more passionate and all of a sudden they're very aware of their surroundings. They break away again, and both giggle a bit, while breathing rather heavily. "I don't know why I've been so anxious about this," she says. "I've been making myself crazy the last few days worrying about what you would say...if I would be too late." Barry laughs at her and she gives him a little slap on his arm. "Iris, you're the only one I've ever wanted. There's no such thing as too late. I've never loved anyone else and I never will."

She leans in to kiss him again. Nothing has ever felt more right to her. She feels a sense of safety and comfort wash over her, a familiarity that she'll never tire of. "I'll always remember this night," he whispers to her. "The start of something special." She's never been so happy in her life. "Barry, this 'something special' started years ago...the day we first met." He smiles at her. "When did you get so cheesy." He doesn't let her answer as he captures her lips again and she rests her hand on his chest. "It's still beating," she quietly says in between kisses. It's even faster than what is normal for him now, and she loves knowing that it's all because of her. His life force.


End file.
